Whether we are at home or camping this taco salad recipe is a favorite of everyone. You can easily throw it together in about 15 minutes, even less if you precook your taco meat! If you're looking for a new quick and easy recipe this one might move to the top of your list!
I usually make this salad in a big bowl and toss it to serve, this saves a little extra time but the presentation isn't as nice. You can also substitute the ground beef for your protein of choice whether it is turkey, chicken, or lentils they all taste great.
Quick And Easy Taco Salad Recipe
Quick And Easy Taco Salad Ingredients:
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 2 t. ground cumin
- 1 t. smoked paprika
- ½ t. chili powder
- 1½ t. chipotle powder, divided
- ½ t. onion powder
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 4 large gluten-free corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
- 3 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 c. black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ head iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 1 large ripe avocado, chopped
- 2 c. cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
- ½ small red onion, diced small
- 1 c. frozen sweet corn, warmed
- 2 T. fresh lime juice
- 1 c. marble cheese, grated
You’ll find these kitchen tools useful (I've included affiliate links to the products I use at home):
- Silicone spatula, I love using my silicone cooking utensils because I don't have to worry about damaging my pots and pans.
- Large baking sheet, I use a commercial-sized sheet pan, I find the larger surface allows room to spread everything out and for an even bake.
- Silicone baking mat, this is one of my favorite kitchen tools because you can use it over and over again (after washing) and it evenly bakes whatever you have on the sheet pan. Or parchment paper works great too.
Quick And Easy Taco Salad Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and ground beef and season with ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, one teaspoon of chipotle powder, and onion powder. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine.
- Cook, stirring occasionally until the meat is browned, approximately 8-10 minutes. Break up the beef with a spatula into small chunks while it cooks.
- While the beef is browning, arrange the tortilla strips on the prepared baking sheet and brush lightly with one tablespoon of olive oil. Place in the oven until slightly crispy, approximately 6-8 minutes.
- Stir the black beans into the skillet with the beef until thoroughly coated with the seasonings. Remove from heat and carefully drain excess fat from the skillet and set aside.
- Combine the lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, red onion, and corn in a large salad bowl. Sprinkle with remaining olive oil, chipotle powder, and fresh lime juice. Generously season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and toss to combine.
- To serve, transfer the salad to a decorative serving platter and top with the seasoned beef and black beans, Mexican cheese, and crispy tortilla strips. Enjoy!
Short on time? You grab our taco seasoning recipe you can easily premix it and have it ready for this recipe. Or skip baking the tortilla and use corn chips instead, it adds a little extra crunch and is a super simple substitute. We hope you enjoy this quick and easy taco salad recipe as much as we do!
If you're doing meal prep you can easily get this ready on the weekend by prepping:
- shred your lettuce and store in the fridge, I usually put it in a Ziploc bag with a piece of paper towel to keep it fresh
- cook your taco meat
- grate the cheese
A few of our recipes that will go excellent with this salad are homemade salsa, refried beans, salsa verde, and our sparkling Paloma.
Quick And Easy Taco Salad
Ingredients
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 2 t. ground cumin
- 1 t. smoked paprika
- ½ t. chili powder
- 1½ t. chipotle powder divided
- ½ t. onion powder
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 4 large corn tortillas cut into thin strips
- 3 T. extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 c. black beans drained and rinsed
- ½ head iceberg lettuce shredded
- 1 large ripe avocado chopped
- 2 c. cherry or grape tomatoes quartered
- ½ small red onion diced small
- 1 c. frozen sweet corn warmed
- 2 T. fresh lime juice
- 1 c. marble cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and ground beef and season with ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, one teaspoon chipotle powder, and onion powder. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned, approximately 8-10 minutes. Break up the beef with a spatula into small chunks while it cooks.
- While the beef is browning, arrange the tortilla strips on the prepared baking sheet and brush lightly with one tablespoon olive oil. Place in the oven until slightly crispy, approximately 6-8 minutes.
- Stir the black beans into the skillet with the beef until thoroughly coated with the seasonings. Remove from heat and carefully drain excess fat from skillet and set aside.
- Combine the lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, red onion, and corn in a large salad bowl. Sprinkle with remaining olive oil, chipotle powder, and fresh lime juice. Generously season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and toss to combine.
- To serve, transfer salad to a decorative serving platter and top with the seasoned beef and black beans, Mexican cheese, and crispy tortilla strips. Enjoy!